Top 10 Health & Fitness Accomplishments of 2012 | Just One More ...

By Kristin, Sunday at 9:00 am

10.? I discovered the benefits of juicing.? Without it, I wouldn't have been able to kick my proclivity for all things sweet.? And that's just the tip of the benefits iceberg!

9.? I ran an 8-minute mile!? When I started I was "running" a 16-minute mile.

8.? I completed the Insanity program even though I thought for a while that I would never make it through it.

7.? I can do 20 FULL push-ups!? Is this a safe place to admit that I could only do ONE when I first started?? That doesn't leave the room!

6.? I kicked my carb addiction.? This should probably be number one, as I thought it would NEVER happen.

5.? I learned to make (and love) so many different kinds of salad!? Leafy greens for everyone!

4.? I lost 35 pounds.? Holla!

3.? I've learned to appreciate physical activity.

2.? I learned that I'm capable of sticking with something and successfully seeing it through to the end.

1.?? Someone mistook me for Rihanna!? Alright, fine...this didn't actually happen.? But if it did, it would definitely make number one on my list!

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/just-one-more-lap-and-other-filthy-lies/2012/12/top-10-health-fitness-accomplishments-of-2012/

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Resolution on sharing family history ? more 'kindling,' less 'swamping'

Any genealogist will tell you that one of the most rewarding things that can happen is for one of your family members to show an interest in your shared ancestry.

Before my niece, Stephanie Taylor, married Andrew Zimmerman, she told me that she would like to have as a wedding gift a one-page pedigree chart for each of them that could be framed and hung on their wall.

I was so touched to have her make this request, and arranged to have the framed charts compiled, wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree this year at my sister?s house to surprise the young couple.

Did I mention that Stephanie and Andy were married in October? That?s October ? last year.

Now that I?ve done the project, framed it and actually given it to the young couple, you can guess what my message for the new year is about sharing family history:

Don?t wait.

Whether your genealogy is in a computer or handwritten on sheets of paper, it?s not a big deal to make copies and put them in a simple three-ring binder for the intended relative. This makes updating easy because you can just give out updated pages as they are ready.

But don?t overlook the value ? and fun ? in sharing just a page of your pedigree.

In my early days of genealogical research, I often overwhelmed my dad and other relatives by trying to communicate everything I?d found about the family all at once.

What works better, of course, is sharing information on your heritage in manageable bites. My uncle Roddy Moore once asked for information on our Bennetts, as he and my dad and their siblings were very close to their Bennett grandparents, who were in fact, both Bennetts. I focused on what he wanted to know.

What I realized while doing the recent project for my niece is that a one-page pedigree chart, even if it reaches back only three generations, can represent a good amount of heritage. Moreover, confining the information to one page communicates in a simple way that can be understood.

The pedigree chart for my niece encompasses all eight of her great-grandparents ? Taylor, Willis, Marble, Osberg, Moore, Bennett, Steeves and Roberts. The Osbergs were from Sweden, and the early Steeves ancestors from Wurtemburg, Germany.

Her husband?s great-grandparents have surnames Zimmerman, Andrews, Atkinson, Soper, Higgins, Farmer, Hanson and Strout. Zimmerman is a German name. (Broadway and film star Ethel Merman was born Ethel Agnes Zimmerman.)

I printed off the pedigree charts on my Family Treemaker program and framed them. I also printed off an extra copy of each one for Stephanie and Andy?s parents: Scott and Maureen (Moore) Taylor and Ralph and Joyce (Higgins) Zimmerman.

When I find new information to add to the charts, or if Stephanie and Andy learn new things from their families, I can easily print off updated charts for them to use to replace the ones hanging on their wall.

Now that I?ve completed these first one-page projects, I can think of other relatives who would appreciate having the same thing for their home, even one family that already has a notebook I did with several charts in it.

After 35 years of research, all it took was one special niece to help me think in terms of kindling the family?s interest in genealogy, rather than swamping them with information.

Thanks, Stephanie Taylor Zimmerman.

???

The national anthem is a difficult song to sing, requiring a range of voice I would never expect in youngsters.

So it is a pleasure to offer an ?A-plus? to three young ladies, approximately the age of fifth-graders, who gave their best during the Veterans Day dedication of the Bangor World War II Memorial at Cole Land Transportation Museum.

Emily Mock, Rachael Kiah and Ceci Doering stood up on the bench where they had been sitting and treated some 200 in attendance to one wonderful performance of ?The Star-Spangled Banner.?

It was more than a treat ? it was a blessing. It also was a worthy tribute to the memory of 112 Bangor veterans killed during World War II.

For information on researching family history in Maine, see Genealogy Resources under Family Ties at bangordailynews.com/browse/family-ties. Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402, or email familyti@bangordailynews.com.

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Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/12/29/living/resolution-on-sharing-family-history-more-kindling-less-swamping/

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Samsung Galaxy Note II reportedly coming in black, triggers monolithic memories (update: fake!)

Samsung gave Galaxy S III buyers a small rainbow of color choices in the summer, and there's signs that the Galaxy Note II might receive a similarly resplendent treatment. A supposed press image obtained by AndroidSlash shows the giant smartphone draped in a previously unavailable black that's potentially very striking -- and more than a little reminiscent of 2001's species-changing monoliths. There's no official word from Samsung on its authenticity, although we wouldn't be surprised knowing the company's history and the Note II's strong track record. When a theoretically niche device is selling like gangbusters, some added diversity could be in order. Just don't expect any Starchildren as a result.

Update: Alas, this is indeed a fake. The source has updated to confirm that this was just a quick darkening job with an image editor -- you can tell by the darkened LED flash, camera and logo. But still, we wouldn't be surprised if Samsung does release its phablet in other colors to keep milking it.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: SamMobile

Source: AndroidSlash (translated)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CFdtr7zKmJg/

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Notre Dame athletes helped clean up after Ala. tornado

In this photo taken Oct. 19, 2011, Notre Dame fencer Kat Palazzoto pushes a wheelbarrow with debris as she helps cleanup tornado debris in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Twenty-four student athletes from Notre Dame were in Tuscaloosa volunteering time during their fall break to help clean up tornado damaged areas.

Robert Sutton | The Tuscaloosa News

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, December 28, 2012 at 11:09 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | David Jones saw the best of Alabama?s community in the worst of times.

Jones, a Notre Dame cheerleader, was part of a group of two dozen Fighting Irish athletes that came to Tuscaloosa during fall break in 2011. They visited for a week of cleanup and hard work in a grieving town where more than 50 were left dead because of a tornado a few months earlier.

Now, a year and a half after that week of bonding and goodwill, Notre Dame and Alabama are getting ready to play each other in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7 in Miami.

?With the hospitality I had down in Alabama, it became one of my favorite schools,? Jones said. ?There?s no hostility, but more karma. You meet all these different faces of the Alabama community. You?re just amazed by them and now you?re playing them.?

There were no football players during that weeklong service project dubbed ?Fight for Tide.? They were preparing for the 2011 season, after all.

It wasn?t about football, anyway. Or basketball. Or softball.

The service project began with a call from Tim Cavanaugh, assistant director of Alabama?s ticket office, to Notre Dame program coordinator Sarah Smith seeking donations. The two interned together in South Bend.

That call resulted in clothes shipped to Tuscaloosa, and ultimately the 675-mile bus ride and weeklong trip.

?It?s one of those things that when special things arise we try to do something if we have the resources and the interest from the student-athletes,? said Smith, adding that a group had traveled to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. ?It all just kind of came together for the Alabama trip. A lot of kids were talking about it. We sent a bunch of clothes down there but then the conversation kind of snowballed to, ?Why don?t we go down there?? ?

Other schools? students and fans also offered a hand in Tuscaloosa, including those who pull for Auburn.

Tragedy trumps rivalry any day.

?I think it speaks volumes for the kind of character and leadership that those people have, from whatever schools they come from,? Tide football coach Nick Saban said. ?People came here from Auburn, which we appreciated. They came from Kent State. I think a willingness to serve other people who are in need at the time for whatever reasons, I think speaks volumes for what kind of person somebody really is. We certainly appreciate that and certainly appreciate anything the Notre Dame students did for our community.?

The Notre Dame group cleared out lots, hauled debris and dug a ditch. There was also lots of listening.

?Everyone had a story: Where they were, who in their family was affected,? Smith said. ?I think it was kind of healing for them to tell their story to other people and that we were down there showing that we cared.

?It kind of created this bond between us and everyone we met, this kind of appreciation that we were there in solidarity. That was pretty cool to feel.?

Tide softball coach Patrick Murphy and some of his players worked with the Notre Dame athletes on a site a few miles from campus in Alberta City and took them to dinner.

?I think they made a lot of fans in Tuscaloosa because that night when we went to eat, there were several people that came up to me and asked what was going on,? Murphy said. ?I said, ?This is a group of Notre Dame student-athletes.? And people gave me a look like, ?Notre Dame??

?I can remember reading in the newspaper, people wrote and said that, ?Our opinion of Notre Dame has changed tremendously.? Just a wonderful gesture by these student-?athletes. All of us were really touched by it.?

Alabama athletic director Mal Moore, a former Notre Dame assistant football coach, asked to meet with the group from South Bend. He gathered them at midfield in Bryant-Denny Stadium during a stadium tour.

?I told them about my days at Notre Dame and how much I loved my time there ... and how much it meant to me personally that they chose to come here to support Tuscaloosa and the university community after the tragic tornado came through,? Moore said Friday. ?I thanked them for that, and we had a good visit, made a bunch of pictures and had a good time. It was very inspiring to me that they chose to come down and give several days of their time to the community here.?

Smith, meanwhile, said she was taken aback by the southern hospitality. They got a few cultural lessons on things like the meaning of ?Roll Tide? and the houndstooth gear popularized by iconic Tide coach Bear Bryant.

?It was just so cool to share some time together,? Smith said. ?I definitely have a soft spot for Alabama.

?Any time humans are being kind and caring for one another and have that kind of spirit of hospitality, how can you not respect that??

Source: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20121229/news/121229796

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Test your knowledge of the year's news events!

Clockwise from top left: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney during presidential debate; Felix Baumgartner; Lance Armstrong; Seal and Heidi Klum; Gen. David Petraeus; Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Test your memory of some of the year's most prominent newsmakers by matching each quote below with the person who said it.

How well do you think you'll do??Scroll down when you're ready to see the correct answers!

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1. ?While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self, I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate, and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted.??
a) Lady Gaga
b) Psy
c) Chris Brown

2.?"I tripped and found myself inside the lifeboat with a number of passengers."
a) ?Silvio Berlusconi
b) ?Antonin Scalia
c) ?Francesco Schettino

3. "After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours."
a) ?David Petraeus
b) ?Arnold Schwarzenegger
c) ?Rupert Sanders

4. "There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, ?Enough is enough.? For me, that time is now."
a) ?Lance Armstrong
b) ?Paul Ryan
c) ?Tiger Woods

5. ?We screwed up, and we are putting the weight of the company behind correcting it.?
a) Rupert Murdoch
b) Tim Cook
c) Donald Trump

6. ?While I do not believe I did anything illegal or ever thought I was doing anything illegal, I did an awful, awful lot that was wrong, and there is no one else responsible for my sins.?
a) John Edwards
b) Peter Madoff
c) Roger Clemens

7. ?If it?s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.?
a) Richard Mourdock
b) Todd Akin
c) Michelle Bachmann

8. ?We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other?s roles as parents.?
a) Katy Perry and Russell Brand
b) Heidi Klum and Seal
c) Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

9.??Gold medals are made out of your sweat, blood and tears, and effort in the gym every day, and sacrificing a lot that you have to do.?
a) Gabby Douglas
b) Ryan Lochte
c) Sanya Richards-Ross

10.?"My maternity leave will be a few weeks long, and I'll work throughout it."
a) Reese Witherspoon
b) Kate Middleton
c) Marissa Mayer

11.??The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn?t be any more happy, comfortable with myself and proud.??
a) Ellen DeGeneres
b) Anderson Cooper
c)?Chely Wright

12.??Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are.??
a)?Sir Richard Branson
b)?Felix Baumgartner
c) Bill Maher

13. ?I was born in Harper Hospital. No one?s ever asked to see my birth certificate.??
a) Mitt Romney
b) Vice President Joe Biden
c) Paul Ryan

14.??The performance of the stock has obviously been disappointing.??
a) Tim Cook
b) Brian Dunn
c) Mark Zuckerberg

15.??Under current law, on January 1, 2013, there's going to be a massive fiscal cliff of large spending cuts and tax increases.??
a) Barack Obama
b) John Boehner
c) Ben Bernanke

FINISHED THE QUIZ? CHECK YOUR?ANSWERS HERE!?

Question 1: B, ?Gangnam Style? star Psy in a December apology for a 2004 song that called for killing Americans.

International rap sensation Psy took to the stage to perform for the president at a charity concert despite online videos showing some anti-U.S. performances he did less than a decade ago. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.

Question 2:?C, Francesco Schettino, captain of the sunken Costa Concordia, explaining in court why he didn?t go down with his ship in January.

The shifting ship is creating dangerous problems for the searchers who need to blast holes in the hull. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.

Question 3:?A, David Petraeus in a statement announcing his resignation as CIA director in November.

The respected West Point graduate led combat forces in Iraq and Afghanistan before retiring from the military and leading the CIA. On Friday, he made the startling admission that he had engaged in an extramarital affair, and announced he was resigning from his post. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

Question 4: A, Cyclist Lance Armstrong, announcing in August that he was ending his fight against doping allegations.?

Top Talkers: Richard Haas joins a Morning Joe panel to discuss Lance Armstrong's refusal to pursue arbitration in the drug case brought against him. Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and his 2000 Olympic Games bronze medal and was banned from the sport.

Question 5:?B, Apple CEO Tim Cook, talking about the iPhone 5's glitchy maps application on ?Rock Center? in December.

Steve Jobs' hand-picked successor, current Apple CEO Tim Cook, talks to Rock Center Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams about Apple's battle with Samsung, glitches with its maps app, the prospect of Apple TV and the challenge of keeping Apple cutting edge.

Question 6: A, Former Sen. John Edwards after learning he would not be convicted of corruption charges in May.

The jury delivered a unanimous verdict on one of the six felony counts and found him not guilty of receiving illegal campaign contributions from heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon. The judge declared a mistrial on the five other counts. Edwards later told reporters that he knew he had not done anything illegal but that he was accountable for his behavior. NBC's Lisa Myers reports.

Question 7:?B, Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., in an August interview on his opposition to abortion in rape cases.

In a statement and a tweet, conservative U.S. Rep. Todd Akin says he "misspoke" during a local TV interview in which he made comments about "legitimate rape" and abortion. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.

Question 8:?C, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announcing their divorce agreement in July.

The Hollywood couple, whose five-year marriage was the subject of much speculation, issued a joint statement saying they were moving forward with daughter Suri's best interests in mind. NBC's Kristen Dahlgren reports.

Question 9:?A, Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas after her win in the individual all-around in August.

Fresh from her historic gold medal win in the gymnastics individual all-around, Gabby Douglas said "it's so meaningful" to be the first African-American woman to win the title and shares details of her phone call with President Obama.

Question 10: C,?Marissa Mayer, revealing her pregnancy soon after being named Yahoo CEO in July.

The former Google executive was named CEO of Yahoo on Monday and made headlines for the fact that she is also pregnant, turning her into a test case of whether women can really have it all. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports, and Ivanka Trump and Rachel Campos-Duffy, author and wife of a congressman, discuss the motherhood balancing act.

Question 11: B,?CNN anchor Anderson Cooper in a coming-out email, in July.

In an email published by the Daily Beast website, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper ends years of speculation about his sexuality, acknowledging that he is "gay" and "proud." NBC's Mara Schiavocampo reports.

Question 12: B,?Daredevil Felix Baumgartner after his 24-mile fall to earth in October.

Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner makes a record-breaking jump from 24 miles above Earth, leaping from the edge of space to the New Mexico desert at speeds up to 833.9 mph. NBC's Tom Costello reports.

Question 13: A,?Mitt Romney at an August rally in Michigan.

Msnbc's Mark Halperin talks about GOP candidate Mitt Romney's apparent ad-lib reference to President Barack Obama's birth certificate.

Question 14: C,?Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a September conference, discussing his company?s May IPO.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says, "The performance of the stock is obviously disappointing," during a "fireside chat" at the San Francisco Disrupt conference organized by technology blog TechCrunch. Watch the entire interview.

Question 15: C,?Ben Bernanke at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in February.?

Top Talkers: A decade after the Sept. 11 attacks, two former senators -- Bob Graham of Florida and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska -- say they believe the Saudi government may have played a role in the attacks. The Morning Joe panel ? including financier Steven Rattner and Donny Deutsch ? discusses. The panel also discusses Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's warning about the economy.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/28/16167670-2012-quotes-quiz-test-your-knowledge-of-the-years-news-events?lite

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Cave dwelling nettle discovered in China

Public release date: 28-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Alex Monro
a.monro@kew.org
Pensoft Publishers

South West China, Myanmar and Northern Vietnam contain one of the oldest exposed outcrops of limestone in the world. Within this area are thousands of caves and gorges. It is only recently that botanists have sought to explore the caves for plants. This exploration is yielding many new species new to science, that are known only from these habitats. The current study was published in the open access journal PhytoKeys.

Kew botanist and nettle expert Alex Monro says, "When my Chinese colleague Wei Yi-Gang from the Guangxi Institute of Botany first mentioned cave-dwelling plants to me, I thought that he was mis-translating a Chinese word into English. When we stepped into our first cave, Yangzi cave, I was spell-bound. It had an eerie moonscape look to it and all I could see were clumps of plants in the nettle family growing in very dark condition".

The plants do not grow in complete darkness but do grow in extremely low light levels, deep within the entrance caverns of the caves (sometimes, in as little as 0.04% full sunlight). The British and Chinese authors have been collecting plants from the Nettle family in this limestone landscape for several years and have just published a paper describing three new species, one from a cave and another two from deep gorges.

The cave-dwelling nettle species in question, was found growing in two caves in the Guangxi province of China. Of the species discovered in gorges, one is known from an unusual and striking rock mineral formation called petaloid travertine. Petaloid travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs that over time forms large petals of rock, in this case clinging to the vertical walls of a gorge.

These plants are members of a genus of Nettles known as Pilea, that is believed to have over 700 species Worldwide, up to one third of which may remain undescribed.

###

Original source

Monro AK, Wei YG, Chen CJ (2012) Three new species of Pilea (Urticaceae) from limestone karst in China. PhytoKeys 19: 5166. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.19.3968

Posted by Pensoft Publishes.

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[ | E-mail | Share ]

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Alex Monro
a.monro@kew.org
Pensoft Publishers

South West China, Myanmar and Northern Vietnam contain one of the oldest exposed outcrops of limestone in the world. Within this area are thousands of caves and gorges. It is only recently that botanists have sought to explore the caves for plants. This exploration is yielding many new species new to science, that are known only from these habitats. The current study was published in the open access journal PhytoKeys.

Kew botanist and nettle expert Alex Monro says, "When my Chinese colleague Wei Yi-Gang from the Guangxi Institute of Botany first mentioned cave-dwelling plants to me, I thought that he was mis-translating a Chinese word into English. When we stepped into our first cave, Yangzi cave, I was spell-bound. It had an eerie moonscape look to it and all I could see were clumps of plants in the nettle family growing in very dark condition".

The plants do not grow in complete darkness but do grow in extremely low light levels, deep within the entrance caverns of the caves (sometimes, in as little as 0.04% full sunlight). The British and Chinese authors have been collecting plants from the Nettle family in this limestone landscape for several years and have just published a paper describing three new species, one from a cave and another two from deep gorges.

The cave-dwelling nettle species in question, was found growing in two caves in the Guangxi province of China. Of the species discovered in gorges, one is known from an unusual and striking rock mineral formation called petaloid travertine. Petaloid travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs that over time forms large petals of rock, in this case clinging to the vertical walls of a gorge.

These plants are members of a genus of Nettles known as Pilea, that is believed to have over 700 species Worldwide, up to one third of which may remain undescribed.

###

Original source

Monro AK, Wei YG, Chen CJ (2012) Three new species of Pilea (Urticaceae) from limestone karst in China. PhytoKeys 19: 5166. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.19.3968

Posted by Pensoft Publishes.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/pp-cdn122712.php

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Warantless surveillance bill passes Congress, heads to Obama's desk (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273627514?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Veterans Denounce Neoconservative 'Swiftboating' of Chuck Hagel

If Chuck Hagel is nominated by President Obama to serve as Secretary of Defense, there will be at least three compelling arguments in his favor. He served with distinction in the military and would ? like Secretary of State nominee John Kerry ? bring a veteran's perspective to his post. He has adopted and articulated a sane perspective on the grave foreign policy blunders whose consequences still haunt the nation, including the Iraq and Vietnam wars. And as we have learned ever since his nomination was first floated, he has made all the right (and right-wing) enemies.

Hagel is a former Republican senator from Nebraska, which means that his voting record was mostly conservative and that he has probably said many things that might offend liberal Democrats. (Already he has felt obliged to apologize for a nasty remark he once made in reaction to President Clinton's nomination of James Hormel as the first openly gay U.S. ambassador.) He is a devout Catholic and an opponent of abortion rights, and he has received poor ratings in the past from the NAACP, the ACLU and other liberal organizations.

But as a potential nominee for Secretary of Defense, Hagel is coming under far heavier fire so far from the right ? where he is being widely smeared as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic ? than from the left. The neoconservatives and their allies on the religious right cannot forgive Hagel for turning against the Iraq war and the Bush administration ? a stance that reflected his opposition to reckless warfare and his adoption of a realistic internationalism. They dislike Hagel as well for his refusal to endorse Israel's expansion of West Bank settlements and other actions that undermine the Mideast peace process; for his reluctance to promote war with Iran; and for his critical eye on Pentagon misspending and waste.

In reality, those are all valid reasons to support him. It is hard to believe that the opinions of the same people who assured us that Iraq would be a free and easy "cakewalk" are today accorded any attention whatsoever, thousands of lives and trillions of dollars later.

Yet it is equally important to emphasize that the charge of anti-Semitism against Hagel is groundless and shames those who have uttered this canard. Among those who have forthrightly denounced it are Jon Soltz, a Jewish army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and now heads Vote Vets and Jeffrey Goldberg, the "Atlantic" magazine blogger on Mideast affairs who once served in the Israel Defense Forces. (They are unlike many of Hagel's critics, who might fairly be characterized as "chickenhawks.")

In a letter to the 200,000-plus members of Vote Vets, many of whom are, like him, Democratic-leaning Iraq and Afghan war veterans, Soltz writes: Chuck Hagel, as a Vietnam Veteran, would put troops first. He has a record of challenging neocon dreams of preemptive use of force ? and winning that debate. He has a record of challenging wasteful Pentagon spending, taking on the military-industrial complex, to ensure our defense dollars are responsibly spent on equipment we actually need ... So please, take a stand against this swiftboating of a man who has only served America with honor.

Goldberg favors Hagel's appointment precisely because he believes the Nebraskan, who now teaches at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, would push back against Israeli policies that endanger the future of the Jewish state: I think Israel is heading down a dangerous path, toward its own eventual dissolution, because it refuses to contemplate even unilateral half-measures that could lay the groundwork for a Palestinian state ... I've spoken to Chuck Hagel in the past. He is not a hater of Israel. On the other hand, he, like Bob Gates, the former secretary of defense, might be able to look (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) in the eye and demand an explanation for the Israeli government's actions on the West Bank.

The "swiftboating" of Hagel is being mobilized by the likes of William Kristol, the "Weekly Standard" editor, who managed to avoid service in Vietnam but still believes that bloody tragedy was a great idea. Kristol and his ilk have been so wrong about every policy issue over the past four decades that their angry opposition to Hagel is a sterling endorsement of him.

Still, there may be valid reasons to oppose his candidacy, based on his temperament, experience or record. Before confirmation he should be questioned closely on his commitment to fair treatment of LGBT personnel and on any substantive issues, such as reproductive rights, where administration policy may conflict with his personal beliefs. He may run into problems among his former Republican Senate colleagues, not all of whom admire him, but their opinions should carry little weight. Indeed, their opposition too should serve to strengthen the case for Hagel's confirmation. He has served his country with courage and principle over many years in public service ? which is far more than can be said for most of his adversaries.

To find out more about Joe Conason, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/veterans-denounce-neoconservative-swiftboating-chuck-hagel-080000512.html

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Vampire Crystals (WiiWare) Review - Nintendo Life

Vampires, they don?t always suck

One fact that we all need to face is that fast-paced and frantic video games will never go out of style. Whether they?re classics being played on an arcade cabinet or new entries on a home console, intense action coupled with multiplayer mayhem can be downright addictive. Another fact that we all need to face is that romantic vampires, among other amorous undead creatures, are currently in style. Combine the two and you?ve got Vampire Crystals, a game that?s much better than any young adult novel would dare to suggest.

Vampire Crystals is a twin-stick shooter that is simple in terms of gameplay, but is also packed with content. The plot involves an evil dragon raising an army of zombies to take over Spookyland, and a couple of vampires who must intervene before things get out of hand. It?s silly and trivial, but this is definitely the type of game that concerns itself with gameplay over plot, and it does a fine job of making the action both fun and exciting.

Using a Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination, the Nunchuk?s analogue stick is used to move your character around as you use the Remote to aim at your screen and hold B to shoot. A crosshair appears on screen wherever your Wii Remote is pointed, letting you know exactly where your shots are going to be fired. If you prefer a more traditional twin-stick control scheme, then you can also use a Wii Classic Controller, using the left analogue stick to move and the right stick to bombard your enemies with bullets. Controlling your character is easy to master and feels natural after just a short while.

The main campaign consists of 15 levels with three boss fights distributed in between. To complete a level, you have to kill a certain amount of zombies while also collecting crystals that randomly generate on the ground. The amount of kills and crystals that you need to accumulate are shown on the left side of your screen along with your health. Once you reach your goal, the level ends and you automatically move on to the next one. If, however, the zombies overwhelm you, or if time runs out before you accumulate enough kills and crystals, then it?s game over and you?ll have to start the level again.

Scattered throughout each stage are various items, such as power ups and extra health. Most of the power ups change the type of ammunition that your gun will fire, while others create a weaponised shield that surrounds your character or cause your character to grow to an enormous size. Conversely, there are also items that hinder your performance by reducing your health or inverting your controls. Whether helpful or harmful, the effects of any of these items are only temporary, ensuring that each level, no matter how predictable gameplay may be, will keep you on your toes.

One of the biggest issues afflicting Vampire Crystals is the intense difficulty curve. Following less of a curve and more of a spike, certain levels tend to jump in difficulty so drastically that they?ll take any player several tries just to complete. Though the difficulty can be a bit on the punishing side, all of the levels can definitely be completed, and finally finishing off a level that?s giving you trouble just makes the whole experience more rewarding. If you?re still having difficulty completing the game, then there is also the option to play through the campaign co-operatively with local friends.

Beyond the local co-op, there are three other multiplayer options available including Deathmatch, Survival, and Time Attack modes, all of which can be played with up to four players. Deathmatch, as the name implies, pits you and your opponents against each other with no other distractions to get in your way. The power ups are still available, but you don?t have any pesky zombies running around the map as well. Survival is more team-based; you try to survive an endless horde of zombies and the player who lasts the longest is deemed the winner. Finally, Time Attack mode has you and your opponents collecting crystals and fighting off zombies all while trying to run down the clock. The player with the most crystals in the end wins, regardless of who died first or more often. Each of these multiplayer modes is simple, but they?re undeniably fun. Unfortunately there's no online play, so all of your matches and scores are kept local only.

While Vampire Crystals may look like a bright and colorful zombie romp, it?s clear that much care was put into the details of its presentation. All of the environments, while often looking quite similar, have a distinct direction to them that make them all stand out from one another. The layout and design of each level varies in a way that forces you to readjust to your environment with each passing stage. The characters and textures may not be the most meticulously crafted in gaming history, but they?re crisp and clear enough to easily be differentiated form one another, even when things get a bit hectic. On a related note, in later levels when enemy characters flood the screen, there is a little bit of frame rate slowdown, but it?s nothing game-breaking, and beyond that everything flows as smoothly as one could expect from a frantic game such as this.

Vampire Crystals isn?t going to win any awards for originality, but by no means does that make it a bad game. There are some issues with frame rate slowdown later on, but beyond that it?s a fun scramble worth playing through over and over again, both solo and with some friends. Boasting classic twin-stick shooter gameplay with a variety of different power ups and multiplayer modes, this is definitely a worthy addition to any gamer?s library, even if the difficulty curve might drive you a bit batty.

Source: http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiware/vampire_crystals

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Good News For Pets: Bitter Agent Added to ... - Life With Cats

Antifreeze and Engine Coolant Being Bittered Nationwide as Industry agrees to voluntarily take steps to protect pets, wildlife and children.

Antifreeze kills. The common chemical additive, used in automobile engines and the winterization of plumbing in summer homes, is easily encountered by pets, with usually horrible and fatal results. While several US states have enacted regulations requiring that a bitter tasting agent be added to repel pets, most have not, and the industry has been perceived to be slow to move on its own.

The industry has now taken the huge step of agreeing to voluntarily add the bitter agent to their antifreeze products. The decision was announced earlier this month in the following statement:

The Humane Society Legislative Fund and Consumer Specialty Products Association jointly announce an agreement to voluntarily add a bitter flavoring agent to antifreeze and engine coolant manufactured for sale for the consumer market in all 50 states and the District of Columbia? to prevent animals and children from being poisoned by the sweet-tasting liquid. Poisoning occurs because animals are attracted to the sweetness of antifreeze and engine coolant, which inadvertently spills in our driveways or is left in open containers in garages.

?This is a ground-breaking example of what?s right with Washington,? said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. ?After years of battling over legislation addressing this important issue, the manufacturers of antifreeze and engine coolant have been working with animal advocates to pass state laws with mutually-agreed on language. Now, the Humane Society Legislative Fund applauds them for taking this important step to help protect our pets, kids and wildlife in every state.?

HSLF estimates range from 10,000 to 90,000 animals poisoned each year after ingesting ethylene glycol, the highly toxic substance used in auto antifreeze and coolant. Ethylene glycol?s sweet smell and taste make it attractive to animals as well as children. The manufacturers are adding bitter-tasting denatonium benzoate to antifreeze and coolant sold directly to consumers across the country.

?Partnering with the Humane Society Legislative Fund in passing these laws in 17 states has shown by finding compromise and working together we can develop sound public policy.?It is vital that consumers continue to read the labels and follow label instructions on the proper use, storage and disposal of antifreeze.? Today, all major marketers are placing the bitterant in antifreeze in all 50 states,? said Phil Klein, executive vice president, legislative and public affairs for CSPA.

Facts:

• Seventeen states currently require the addition of the bittering agent to antifreeze and engine coolant: Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
• Oregon passed the first state law and it has been in effect since 1991.
• In one survey, two out of three veterinarians reported that they had treated at least one case of antifreeze/engine coolant poisoning each year.
• One teaspoon of antifreeze or engine coolant can kill an average-sized cat.
• Denatonium benzoate has been used in common household products and as an anti-nail biting formula for decades in the United States.

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About the authorEditor

Do you know of a story we should cover? Have you written an article you?d like to see reprinted at Life With Cats? Does your shelter or rescue organization want to share a story with our readers? Do you have info for an update on one of our stories?
To reach the editor for these or other matters related to site content, please email lifewithcats@ymail.com or karenharrisonbinette@yahoo.com.

Source: http://www.lifewithcats.tv/2012/12/26/good-news-for-pets-bitter-agent-added-to-antifreeze-sold-in-the-us/

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Mandela visited by family in hospital | NWOTruth

Ailing Nelson Mandela was Tuesday visited in hospital by his wife Graca Machel and family as he spent Christmas Day on his sickbed, said President Jacob Zuma who joined the family.

?We found him in good spirits,? said Zuma in a statement.

?He was happy to have visitors on this special day and is looking much better. (Read more?) The doctors are happy with the progress that he is making,? said Zuma.

Mandela, 94, was admitted to a Pretoria hospital on December 8. He has been treated there for a recurrent lung infection and underwent surgery to remove gallstones.

On Monday, Zuma?s office, which is tasked with issuing updates on his condition, said doctors had confirmed that he will not be home for Christmas.

But there was no indication of when he might be discharged.

His grandson Mandla Mandela earlier told eNCA television that the family was saddened by his absence from home this Christmas.

?We are greatly saddened by his absence?we didn?t anticipate that he would be away for so long,? said Mandla from Mvezo village, where he is the local chief.

He said the family was hopeful that the much loved elderly statesman will be home soon, adding that his presence was enjoyed by the family and the community of Qunu, the rural village where he grew up and later retired to.

Before his retirement in 2004 Mandela used to host a Christmas feast for impoverished children in Qunu, which was a highlight for many.

Since retiring from public life, Christmas has been a more low-key affair, spent with family.

Mandela, who became South Africa?s first black president after the country?s first all-race elections in 1994, has a long history of lung problems, dating back to the time when he was a political prisoner on Robben Island.

In January 2011 he was hospitalised two nights for an acute respiratory infection.

This is his longest hospital stay since coming out of prison in 1990.

[Image via Agence France-Presse]

Read the full story...

[VIA The Raw Story]

Source: http://nwotruth.com/mandela-visited-by-family-in-hospital/

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TCF Fitness in Gilbert Now Open!! 7 Day Free Trial Membership ...

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PRLog (Press Release) - Dec. 25, 2012 - Gilbert, Arizona, December 25, 2012 ? Team Cane Fitness, a prominent Fitness Training Center, is now shifting the fitness center to Gilbert, Arizona. Team Cane Fitness is known for its advanced and result-based adult and youth personal training methods. It has been rendering exceptional service by giving the best of training programs to people who want to lose the extra flab and look healthy. The expansion of the personal training business from only personal training to a full blown Fitness Center in Gilbert has come in as a delight to those in the Gilbert region.

Following the right health and fitness regime (http://www.teamcanefitness.com) is absolutely important and it needs to be understood that only a good personal training center can provide proper guidance. The Fitness Center will be well equipped to suit the multiple exercise regimes. Team Cane Fitness understands this very well and has come up with an exceptional range of fitness program that assures to keep the trainees looking and feeling healthy.

Be it beginner or that of elite athletes, Team Cane Fitness has a specialized, customized training program for one and all. Ty Cane is the owner of Team Cane Fitness and is considered to be one of the best nutritionist and trainer on a global scale.

The TCF Fitness/Personal Training center in Gilbert has the latest and advanced equipment and has been catering to the fitness requirements for those in the Gilbert region. Now, the facility has moved to Gilbert, yet another region in Arizona as part of the physical fitness center?s expansion activity. Diet plans are also included in the fitness training program and the Gilbert Personal Training provides for the best of diet programs that helps lose weight and keep the body trim.

The 12 week program offered by Team Cane Fitness helps one achieve exemplary results as the program is customized to suit one?s health and body requirements.

One of the customers, Jen H., says about Team Cane Fitness? food plan, ?I have been using Team Cane?s Food Plan for the past two years and have had amazing results. It is a very easy to follow plan with more than enough food?I never felt hungry!!! The plan gives you a wide variety of food to choose from so I don?t feel deprived.?

For more information related to Team Cane Fitness and Gilbert Personal Training, visit us at: http://www.tcffitnessclub.com or http://www.teamcanefitness.com

Source: http://www.prlog.org/12049004-tcf-fitness-in-gilbert-now-open-7-day-free-trial-membership.html

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Great Personal Growth Information To help you! ? cash-for-work ...

Just being able to acknowledge that you want to enhance on your own is an important step. Here are a few great self-help tips.

Are you a stable drinker? Does one smoke cigarettes or do just about anything else that is certainly unhealthy for your system? Your system is sacred, plus you?ve got to master to respect it. Eliminating undesirable habits is important if you want to improve your current circumstances. Evaluate your way of life and habits honestly to determine what you can begin working on today, told us Dr Qotiazetop.

An optimistic attitude is necessary to help make any progress in your development. Bad attitudes usually lead you to an area you?ll prefer not to be and often impede progress. It?s safer to remain optimistic, and to do not forget that this attitude could make it easier for one to successfully attain your objectives in daily life Manipal Dubai Tips.

Identify what is holding you back from becoming successful. Sometimes, this may be a difficult task for you to see yourself. As soon as you can pinpoint your individual weaknesses, it really is better to accept them, act to them, and change them. If you?re able to get over some hurdles, you may get a clearer picture products your future holds.

Be sure you practice your core principles. Folks have beliefs that tell what they?re about. If you have a significant foundation in order to defend them, you are able to supercharge your self-esteem. Best of all, once you act in your principles, you?ll are more consistent while not having to make any effort to do so. This is an excellent trait to become cultivating.

Don?t let yourself get consumed with stress. Stress is really a cycle; if you over-react to a stressful situation, it just causes further stress. Sometimes things goes wrong. As opposed to being stressed, just handle them.

Within your personal development journey, there?s something that you need to do. One thing you must do is do something. Take control you have ever had and don?t make role of a spectator. In the event you act only like a spectator, nobody will definitely pay attention to you, so be active!

A fantastic method of assisting you to along with your anxiety will almost certainly the films with a friend. It will ensure you get out, and stay social. However, you won?t need to be so social that you?re uncomfortable. Eventually, it?ll be routine to be around a large amount of people.

Self control is essential if you need to do some focus on yourself. Discover how to maintain control of your ideas and actions. Make an attempt to curb your really wants to overindulge on harmful items. When you can successfully control yourself, you are on to your website to enjoy a happy and healthy life.

Care is a better solution for most with serious problems. While self-help books help a specific degree, visiting a therapist has more personalized substance for it. Even simple act of having someone impartial that you can talk with can enhance your chances for success. Books they can be handy tools but a psychiatrist can respond and answer questions.

You need to develop making certain daily is an improvement within the previous one. Push yourself to pursue every opportunity for improvement. Try and improve yourself daily.

Steer clear of the temptation to comfort yourself having a shopping spree. Should you hang around doing a bit of kind of a hobby as an alternative to accumulating your credit card bills, you will find that you do not have those high credit card bills to push out about. You?ll also have less clutter around your own home to completely clean up.

The number one rule if you are working to make your individual development a high priority is usually to figure out how to listen to one?s body. For example, if you are hungry or thirsty, you should fix this issue at the earliest opportunity. You will need a healthy body to provide you for years to come. If you don?t give your body what it really needs, you will find a hard future before you.

Because you start your self improvement journey, take on that undeniable fact that you do deserve the best of everything! With persistence, patience and difficult work, you?ll soon reach your initial goals. When all is claimed and done, you will end up satisfied which you have given your very best self effort, and you may regret nothing.

Utilize these tips and track of changes on your feelings and thoughts. Be sure you have a break from everything every now and then.

Source: http://cash-for-work-project.net/great-personal-growth-information-to-help-you/

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Obama to fly to home early as &#39;fiscal cliff&#39; looms - News9.com ...

By MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) - President Barack Obama will cut short his traditional Christmas holiday in Hawaii, planning to leave for Washington on Wednesday evening as he and lawmakers consider how to prevent the economy from going over the so-called fiscal cliff.

Obama was expected to arrive in Washington early Thursday, the White House said Tuesday night. First lady Michelle Obama and the couple's two daughters will remain in Hawaii.

In the past, the president's end-of-the-year holiday in his native state had stretched into the new year. The first family had left Washington last Friday night.

Congress was expected to return to Washington on Thursday. Before he departed for Hawaii, Obama told reporters he expected to be back in the capital the following week.

Automatic budget cuts and tax increases are set to begin in January, which many economists say could send the country back into recession. So far, the president and congressional Republicans have been unable to reach agreement on any alternatives.

Lawmakers have expressed little but pessimism for the prospect of an agreement coming before Jan. 1. On Sunday, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she expects any action in the waning days of the year to be "a patch because in four days we can't solve everything."

The Obamas were spending the holiday at a rented home near Honolulu. On Christmas Day, the president and first lady visited with members of the military to express thanks for their service.

"One of my favorite things is always coming to base on Christmas Day just to meet you and say thank you," the president said at Marine Corps Base Hawaii's Anderson Hall. He said that being commander in chief was his greatest honor as president.

Obama took photos with individual service members and their families.

On Christmas Eve, Obama called members of the military to thank them for serving the nation, then joined his family for dinner, the White House said. The Obamas opened gifts Christmas morning, ate breakfast and sang carols.

Friends were joining the Obamas for Christmas dinner Tuesday night, the White House said.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.news9.com/story/20423356/obama-spending-christmas-day-with-family-in-hawaii

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15 Things European Startups Might Want For Christmas

What do European startups want for Christmas? We've come up with a list of ideas. Feel free to add your own in the comments. 1. Inspiration - We want European tech founders to think more collectively, lobby government more effectively and put themselves out there as heroes for the next generation to emulate. Don't be shy!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/VMYxbR-MN3M/

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Why Robotech is the greatest love story of the 20th century

Literary types often regard Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita as the greatest love story of the 20th century. They're close, but it's actually the ?80s cartoon series Robotech - specifically, it's the Macross section of Robotech, based on the 1982 anime Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the first of the three Japanese cartoons that were cobbled together and re-edited to make the Robotech cartoon that aired in the US. While so many other children's entertainments were going on and on about true love (or avoiding the subject entirely), the Macross saga helped countless kids understand that love isn't perfect, it isn't good, and most importantly, it's never easy.

Robotech's Macross saga was a romance more than it was a sci-fi adventure, and since it was full of jets that transformed into robots, a giant race of aliens named the Zentraedi, and the giant spaceship called the SDF that had accidentally crash-landed on Earth they would stop at nothing to take, that's saying something. Here are five truths about love that only Robotech had the guts to admit to kids:

Love Knows No Bounds

Macross understands that you love who you love, and there's no class, race, or any kind of status that matters. Lisa Hayes, the second-in-command of the most powerful spaceship in the galaxy (and she's also the most sober commander, she ends up in charge most of the time), loves a lowly pilot recruit. Young Chinese pop star Lynn Minmei loves her cousin Lynn Kyle. Ace pilot Maximillian Sterling loves the beautiful alien Miriya, who's trying to kill him. Even more insanely, veteran pilot Roy Fokker loves Claudia Grant, a - gasp! - person of color. I know it doesn't seem worth congratulating now, but showing an interracial relationship in kids' cartoons in the mid-?80s was simply unheard of, and Robotech had the cajones to never even comment on it in the scripts, portraying it as completely natural. The heart wants what the heart wants, and there's no amount of reality that can sway it.

Love Is Messy

After countless cartoons where the prince gets the princess at the end (or vice versa), Robotech got kids ready for a lifetime of relationships by revealing that love as first sight was a lot more rare than awesome jets that transform into robots. The show basically centers on Rick Hunter's incredibly long, unrequited infatuation with Lynn Minmei, and Lisa Hayes' simultaneous crush on Rick. Both of these take up most of Macross' 36 episodes, forcing viewers to wonder if Rick will ever wake up, drop the mercurial Minmei, and realize that the infinitely more awesome Lisa has the hots for him- or, conversely, if Lisa will ever stop pining over the bastard who keeps ignoring her for the 15-year-old Chinese pop star who treats him like shit. Unrequited love isn't fun, but it's a hell of a lot more likely than some fairy tale ending.

Love Hurts

To clarify the above, Rick doesn't just sit in his bunk pining over over Minmei; no, that's only what he does in-between the times she's leading him on and/or breaking his heart. Minmei does just enough to keep Rick thinking he's got a chance" asking for him along to her concerts, accepting his gifts, giving him kisses on the cheek, and more. Inbetween these moments of happiness are: Minmei ignoring him, Minmei fawning over Lynn Kyle, and Minmei generally breaking his heart. Minmei was the most hated character in anime in the ?80s, and her torture of poor Rick is the reason why; but what we didn't understand is that Minmei wasn't actually trying to be cruel - she genuinely likes Rick, and likes being with him - she just likes someone else. Sure, she's flirty and flighty, but she's a 15-16-year-old girl. Who could reasonably expect her to choose a stable relationship as opposed to the dark, brooding Lynn Kyle? Boys watching Robotech in the ?80s, that's who. But we were wrong.

Moreover, everything Minmei does to Rick? Rick does to Lisa, only worse. At least Minmei's flirty nature gives Rick hope some of the time. Rick makes his feelings for Minmei abundantly clear to Lisa, and she's still so in love she simply waits and hopes he eventually wises up.

Love Is Gross (Usually If You're Doing It Right)

In one of Robotech's most iconic scenes, Rick, Lisa and fellow pilot Ben Dixon are captured by the giant alien Zentraedi and interrogated. Since the Zentraedi are cloned and immediately bred to be warriors, they have no sense of romance or relationships or sex. As these alien interrogations often do, the subject of love comes up, specifically kissing, and the Zentraedi demand the humans kiss to find out what the hell they're talking about. Lisa kisses Rick (sorry, Ben) and immediately disgusts every Zentraedi watching. They're stunned, appalled, and actually retching at the site of the two humans touching mouths (and potentially tongues) - to the point where they consider the act an actual weapon. Look, if you think there's a better way to slyly hint at the biological messiness of love in a kids' cartoon, you're lying to yourself.

Love Is Dumb

When summarizing the Macross portion of Robotech, one could do worse than trying to describe the show's primary love? er? polygon. The most powerful woman in the galaxy is so in love she washes the underwear of a young pilot who is in love with a 15-year-old Chinese pop star who is in love with her cousin, who throws gin bottles at her. I'm serious. Love makes Lisa Hayes - the second in command of the SDF-1 - actually does Rick Hunter's laundry at his apartment? while he's out chasing Minmei. Minmei has the hots for Lynn Kyle, who gets so mad at her success that he does throw bottles at her (that they're gin bottle is my hypothesis, but I stand by it). And these things don't affect Minmei or Lisa's affections in the least. Oh, they're upset; they wonder what the hell they're doing; but they're still in love. Because love makes us dumb.

Also, Max Sterling asks the alien spy Miriya on a date while she's actually trying to kill him? and they end up having the most solid relationship in the series. Because love is dumb.

Love Is All That Really Matters

But for as dumb, gross, messy and cruel love can be, it's what makes humans human, and it's what holds the crew of the SDF-1 together during their horrific war with the Zentraedi. It what keeps the crew and unwilling residents of the SDF-1 sane during their attempt to travel home, even if that love is returned or not. When the Earth is pretty much annihilated in episode 27, all people have to hold onto is each other, as they try to survive and carve a new civilization out of the ashes. Love isn't a cure-all; it's not going to bring humanity back, and it's not going to conquer everything. But whether you're facing giant aliens in space bent on your annihilation or just everyday life, it's obviously the best thing we've got.

Now, maybe you fell in love with your partner at first sight and were in bliss from that moment on, but if so, you're the exception, not the norm. Most of us will feel the pain of unrequited love, of debasing ourselves for someone who may not deserve it (or even notice), will have our hearts broken, and/or end up in multi-person relationship drama that would make Romeo and Juliet's heads explode (I, for one, have experienced all of these things, multiple times). Lolita might have revealed that love is blind, unquenchable and not always good, but Robotech taught us that and more, and did it in a kids' cartoon to boot. Sorry, Nabokov. Better luck next time.

Source: http://io9.com/5971053/why-robotech-is-the-greatest-love-story-of-the-20th-century

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Cancer Immunotherapy Where Are We Going?

The compelling concept of utilizing the patient's own immune system for a stronger and more effective way to attack cancer cells is not a new one. William Coley observed in 1891 that infections produced in patients with inoperable cancer following an injection of streptococcal organisms (Gram-positive bacteria) led to tumor shrinkage especially when the patients developed fever and other signs of a full-blown infection.¹ Since then, research has embraced approaches to "train" the patient's own immune system to recognize certain biomarkers or proteins that are mainly found on cancer cells and to destroy the cells.

After several setbacks the first cellular immunotherapy, Dendreon's Sipuleucel-T (Provenge^(R)), was approved for the treatment of prostate cancer in 2010. Today, new promising cancer immunotherapy approaches are in clinical trials. Most recently, researchers at the 54^th American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting reported early success with a developmental-stage cell-based cancer vaccine for the treatment of leukemia and have shown remission in several patients ^2,3, including a 7-year old girl who relapsed twice after chemotherapy. Cancer immunotherapy can be thought of as either active or passive immunotherapy. The most prominent passive immunotherapies, which have revolutionized cancer therapy, are monoclonal antibodies that either target tumor-specific antigens and receptors or block important pathways central to tumor growth and survival. Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are the market leader in the targeted cancer therapy space and include blockbusters such as trastuzumab (Herceptin^(R)) or rituximab (Rituxan^(R)). In general, antibodies are significant elements of the body's adaptive immune system. They play a dominant role in the recognition of foreign antigens and the stimulation of the immune response. Therapeutic antibodies target and bind to antigens, usually proteins that are mainly expressed on diseased cells such as cancer cells. After binding, cancer cells can be destroyed by different mechanisms such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, the activation of the complement system -- an important part of the immune system -- and triggering cell death. Although very successful, especially in oncology, therapeutic antibodies have a significant limitation: they don't generate a memory response by the immune system, and thus, repeated antibody infusions are required. Further, monoclonal antibodies are only able to recognize specific proteins present of the cell surface. Monoclonal antibodies are mostly produced in cell culture systems which are often costly. Humanization of murine monoclonal antibodies by replacing of certain parts of the antibody with human sequences has improved the tolerability of antibodies and made them less immunogenic, but even fully human sequence-derived antibodies can carry some immunological risk. Novel approaches in the passive immunization strategy include antibody drug conjugates, a combination of targeting antibody with a very potent drug such as the recently approved brentuximab vedotin (ADCETRIS(TM)) for Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). ADCETRIS comprises an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibodyanti-CD30 monoclonal antibody and a cytotoxic (cell-killing) agent that is released upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells. Currently, the development of next generations of ADCs is underway. Alternatively, specific and durable cancer immunotherapies designed to actively "train" or stimulate the patient's intrinsic immune response have been more problematic; however, recent success stories, such as the cell-based immunotherapy Provenge, have revitalized this field. Dendreon's approach modifies the patients' own dendritic cells to present a protein specific to prostate cancer cells. Dendritic cells are the most potent, "professional" antigen-presenting cells. They process the antigen material and present it on their surface to other cells of the immune system. Once activated, the dendritic cells migrate to the lymphoid tissues where they interact with T-cells and B-cells -- white blood cells and important components of the immune system -- to initiate and shape the adaptive immune response. To develop Provenge, each patient's own dendritic cells are harvested and then loaded ex vivo with the tumor-associated antigen. Now "presenting" the antigen, the dendritic cells are administered back into the patient to induce a potent, cell-mediated anticancer immune response resulting in tumor shrinkage and clinical benefit. In another experimental approach for the treatment of leukemia, patients' own modified T-cells were infused back into the patients. Prior to this, the T-cells were transduced with a lentivirus to express the CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor. CD19 is an antigen which is found on B-cell neoplasms, cancerous B-cells, and the lentivirus was the vehicle to transfer the genetic material for CD19 into the cells. A case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was in ongoing remission 10 months after treatment.³ These promising results have spurred continued research for new and safe ways to achieve effective tumor vaccination, and drug developers have explored many cancer immunotherapy strategies. To generate an effective antitumor immunity, therapeutic intervention should drive several functions; specifically, it should promote the antigen presentation functions of dendritic cells, promote the production of protective T-cell responses, stimulate B-cells and overcome immunosuppression characteristics that are common to tumor cells.⁴ Cell-based therapeutic vaccines are most frequently produced outside the patient's body and involve isolation of the specific cells, such as dendritic cells, and the introduction of preselected antigens, often with the use of specific vehicle, into the cells. The antigens can be encoded in viral vectors (frequently DNA) or administered as peptides or proteins in a suitable adjuvant and carrier through a long and cumbersome process. During my doctoral thesis, I conducted immunization experiments using RNA as a negative control, assuming that the RNA would be degraded during the experiment thus making it impossible to use as a vaccine. The physiological role of messenger (m) RNA is to transfer genetic information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where this information is translated into the corresponding protein. mRNA is known to be very unstable and has a relatively short half-life. But astonishingly, we were able to measure a solid T-cell immune response. We repeated the experiment and confirmed that the RNA we had produced had the potential to be used as a vaccine. Importantly, we didn't need to isolate the patients' cells: mRNA-based vaccines can be injected directly into the skin (intradermal). The mRNA-based vaccines are then taken up by antigen-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells, and are then able to induce an immune response. Importantly, mRNA-vaccines can also be synthesized quickly for any antigen sequence identified.⁵ The first mRNA-based vaccines (RNActive(R)) are now in the clinic for the treatment of prostate cancer and lung cancer and have demonstrated that they do what they are supposed to do - induce a balanced humoral, as well as T cell-mediated, immune response that is entirely HLA independent. The HLA (human leukocyte antigen) system is used to differentiate the body's own cells (self) and non-self cells. Additionally, RNA-vaccines do not need a vehicle such as a virus for delivery to the cells, nor do they contain virus-derived elements that are often found in DNA-vaccines. These attributes make RNActive a very safe therapeutic. The risk of integration of the RNA into the host-genome is minimized (RNA would have been transcribed first to DNA, and then it has to be transported to the nucleus), as is the residual risk of DNA-based vaccines for inactivating or activating genes or affecting cellular regulatory elements, which can induce oncogenesis. Thus, the favorable safety profile of mRNA-based therapies broadens their potential use not only for the treatment of diseases but for use as prophylactic vaccinations. A recent proof-of-concept study using mRNA-based vaccines (RNActive) in animal models for influenza was published in Nature Biotechnology.⁶ Therapeutic cancer immunotherapies and vaccines have come a long way, and novel, promising approaches give hope for safe and effective treatment options. This may one day lead to the treatment of all cancers as chronic diseases. Literature ¹Kirkwood JM, Butterfield LH, Tarhini AA, Zarour H, Kalinski P, Ferrone S: Immunotherapy of cancer in 2012. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012 ²June CH, Blazar BR: T-Cell Infusions: A New Tool for Transfusion Medicine That Has Come of Age. Presentation at 54^th ASH Annual Meeting 2013 ³Porter DL, Levine BL, Kalos M, Bagg A, and June CH: Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells in Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia. N Engl J Med 2011 ⁴Mellman I, Coukos G, Dranoff G: Cancer immunotherapy comes of age. Nature. 2011 Petsch B, Schnee M, Vogel AB, Lange E, Hoffmann B, Voss D, Schlake T, Thess A, Kallen KJ, ⁵Hoerr I, Obst R, Rammensee HG, Jung G: In vivo application of RNA leads to induction of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and antibodies. Eur J Immunol. 2000 ⁶Petsch B, Schnee M, Vogel AB, Lange E, Hoffmann B, Voss D, Schlake T, Thess A, Kallen KJ, Stitz L, Kramps T: Protective efficacy of in vitro synthesized, specific mRNA vaccines against influenza A virus infection. Nat Biotechnol. 2012 ? Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. 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